Notes on Cloning (new threads)

DIY Aeroponic Cloner

Mon, 23 Dec 2013 16:17:53 +0000

I justed finished building a misting cloner using these plans - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4z8GE1bbsDjb2xiREgwRC1jcWc/edit?usp=sharing. There's not much green at this time of the year so I'll be trying cuttings from English ivy, stevia, rosemary and Meyer's Lemon. I should probably be trying to copy the Meyer's Lemon since I only have one and would like to share it with a friend.

Pythium controlled by Trichoderma viride

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:18:55 +0000

Pythium is a problem plauging my cloning machine. I read today that common green mold, Trichoderma viride, attacks pythium. This green mold is itself a major problem in mushroom cultivation. Maybe the next time I have mushrooms infected with trich, I should dump the fungus in my cloning machine water.

Why did cloning machine fail after great results on first attempt

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 23:33:06 +0000

I had good results on my initial experience with the cloning machine. My second attempt failed. The cloning machine was full of clear slime and the cuttings had black rot. The slime was so thick, it staled the pump. I cleaned everything and tried a third time, but this failed the same way. I did some research and I think I know what went wrong and how to fix it.

Problem: Slime is a symtom of pythium growing in the water. There are many species of phythium. Three common species found in hydroponics are Pythium aphanidermatum, P. dissotocum Drechsler, P. ultimum. Pythium produces both clear slime and black rot on the plants grown in hydroponic systems.

Solution: Hydrogen peroxide 3% from the drug store is effective against pythium. A recommended solution is 4 tbsp/gal of water and let sit for 4 hrs before using it on plants. Another recommendation is to use a lower amount directly in the hydroponic water every 4 days. source:http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/hydro/2004082043013671.html.

Another thing to do is to keep break up the slime. Hygrozyme is used for this purpose and is $25 per 0.5 liter on Ebay and Amazon.

Another path to take is to increase the population of good life in the water. BushDoctor Microbe Brew is used for this purpose. It is about $20 per quart online.

So I will try again. Prevent the growth of pythium with hyrogen peroxide. I may also break up the slime with Hygrozyme and culture good critters with Microbe Brew.

Special technique for persimmons

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:59:24 +0000

On the host, the green layer effortlessly slips off if done in the spring when the bark is "slipping" (left). When preparing the scionwood of persimmon, remove only the outer bark (center). Leave the green cambium layer intact. Also be careful not to make a lateral cut across the cambium. If done correctly, scar tissue will form when the green cambium layer of the scionwood touches the green layer of the host (right). Click here to go to the source on persimmon grafting technique
Source: http://www.qdma.com/uploads/pdf/Grafting-Persimmons.pdf

I wonder if cherry would take if I did the graft this way.

Starting up the cloning machine again

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 17:46:36 +0000

I am starting up the cloning machine again. I want to test out some ideas I have read about related to cutting off the phloem and cambium layers. I will try this with goumi cuttings. I also might add something to the water to prevent slime from growing.

Cold presoak of dormant cuttings

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 20:26:24 +0000

For dormant willow and cottonwood, partially submerging the cuttings in cold water resulted in higher success rate in rooting. Soaking in warm water produced slime on the cutting and less rooting. The cold soak was tried up to 31 days. Best results appeared to be a partial soak lasting 14 days. Increased water in the cuttings seems to aid in the formation of roots.

link to pdf
Effects of pre-plant soaking treatments on hardwood cuttings of peachleaf willow. Derek Tilley, and J. Chris Hoag, Jan 2008, Riparian Wetland Project Information Series No 24

First attempt at air layering

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:45:32 +0000

After viewing videos on YouTube, I did my first air layer last night.

start date: 8/1/2012
species: Elaeagnus multiflora
variety: Sweet Scarlet

1. Soaked some moss from a craft store in water.
2. Selected a sprout from this summer, about or 60-70mm diameter.
3. Removed ring of bark, phloem, and cambium just below leaf.
4. No root hormone used.
5. Placed handful of moss over the cut area, squeezed out excess water.
6. Wrapped with bread wrapper.
7. Tapped plastic wrapper in place with duct tape strips on end and center.
8. Coved bundle with aluminum foil.

Roots form where cambium removed

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:57:00 +0000

Here is the photo. Simple cutting (Left), Cambium removed completely (Center), Only a strip of cambium removed (Right). Note how the strongest roots have formed on the group with a complete ring of cambium removed. The group with no cambium removed shows multiple locations where possible root hairs look like they will break through the bark. On these simple cuttings, the roots that do form look weak and unfocused compared to the group with most cambium removed.

Reference: Advances in Molecular Biology (2): 71-77, 2008; Wood-bark-cambium relations mechanism of rooting in Salix discolor; Valentin Kefeli, Christopher Leininger, Shari Mastalski, Beth Rehn
So how does this work? The center of the cutting has "plumbing" that pulls water up through transpiration (through the channel of dead cells in the xylem). Transpiration is water evaporating from the cutting. In a simple cutting, a starch solution is directed back down through the phloem. If the phloem is damaged, it is repaired via the cambium layer. By removing both the phloem and cambium as shown in the center group above, the fluid transport is blocked at the ring cut. Hormones start root formation from the cambium layer at the top of the ring cut.

This has application to both air layering and the rooting of cutting in water or dirt.

Another observation is that root are more likely to be initiated at a bud. I wonder what would happen if the ring cut was made directly below a bud? One Youtube video showed fig cuttings in water sent out roots at the bud that was closest to the water surface. Oxygen might be a factor in rooting also.

Thinking about how this works, I think the next cloning machine experiment should include a ring cut directly below a bud near the surface of the water. The leaves should be left on for two reasons. Leaves will increase transpiration. Leaves will also build up carbohydrates in the cutting. I will try this soon.